Page 6 of Untempered
I drew in a breath but held myself still. Some of her hair poked out from under the ugly cap, and it shone like the best chestnut, a deep brown with a red glow. I wanted that cap gone. And the knife, too.
Down, Chay,I thought, dimly.
In another situation, I could’ve happily drowned my sorrows in her. I could already feel the burn of that knowledge in my blood.
She started again and I thought, for a moment, I’d said that out loud. But she asked, “You’re a knight?” And her eyes had narrowed in suspicion.
There were some freckles across the bridge of her nose, less than a dozen, and only faint. Her long mouth was a straight line of displeasure.
I didn’t try to respond. I figured it best, given the knife at my throat.
Darrius’ voice filtered through to me only faintly.
The blade at my throat was suddenly withdrawn. Distaste curved down the edge of her long mouth, and I didn’t know whether Darrius had said the wrong thing, or whether she liked this situation less than I.
Her cap drooped slightly more to one side. It was a silly angle, not a jaunty one, but another lock of hair escaped, longer than the first, and kissed the edge of her jaw.
The bird sang nearby again, a long, beautiful call. The woman above me leaned back, sheathing her knife and casting her eyes about.
Without thinking, I started to reach up, wanting to brush away those wayward strands of hair.
She flinched like I’d tossed a viper at her, recoiling violently, steel back in her hand and swooping toward me. Another bird call, and she paused, the knife halfway between us, her eyes locked on me. Distrust was stamped clearly across her features.
My hand had already dropped away. I was way out of line. I was so far out of line that I’d need to pack provisions to get back there. “Apologies,” I said, making sure my irritation with myself didn’t come through in my voice.
She didn’t respond, but settled back slowly, her limbs coiled tightly as if she expected me to strike.
“Hey, Chay,” Kadan said nearby. “We’ve made new friends.”
Friends. Somehow, Darrius had made friends with the person accompanying the woman. I realized one of my hands was still tangled up in her shirt, crushed between us, and I forced my fingers to unlock rather than press closer, shrugging off the wave of humiliation I felt at the sight of my own weakness.You can worry about that when the candles burn low,I thought.
She climbed off me without hesitation, her movements graceful in the way of a wild creature.
Of course she was tall—almost as tall as me—with strong shoulders.Of courseshe was. I’d blown my chances with the most attractive woman I’d seen in…a lot of seasons.
I climbed to my feet, stiff and awkward with annoyance at myself. I probably never had a chance anyway. For all I knew, her entire family had been hung and drawn by the last knight who’d crossed her path.
We were in La’Angi, after all.
I liked that reminder and let my frustration swell, directing it to the Butcher, sitting in that squat, uninviting keep that was the topic of ballads and dirges, both.
“It’s a shame this meeting never took place,” I heard Darrius saying to an older woman dressed in trousers and a man’s shirt, a quiver strapped to one strong thigh. She stood tall despite her average height, her blonde hair tightly plaited down her back. “I’m sure meeting you both would have been a delight. Best of luck in all your endeavors—and do feel free to introduce yourselves should we ever cross paths.”
The woman beside me hunched her shoulders and dropped her eyes to the ground in a way that made my worry flare.
Why was she shrinking?
The older blonde woman tossed her horse’s reins to my attacker, taking the still-skittish beast who was foaming and stressed for herself. Kadan had saved the horse. I hadn’t even noticed that minor miracle.
I met Kadan’s eyes, searching for guidance, but his expression was thoughtful and his only word of wisdom was, “Curious.”
He strolled back to his mount with a loose-limbed walk that only made me feel stiffer in comparison. Trust Kadan to understate a situation so easily.
Callum punched me on the shoulder, grinning as he did so. “How’s your throat there, Chay?” he asked, wiggling his brows. “Got a stiff neck?”
There was no way I could’ve managed a response, so I just brushed some dirt off my shirt and went to where Bliksem waited for me, climbing back into the saddle.
“What was—” someone began.
